The present invention relates to a system for the variable rate application of pesticides, to a method for the variable rate application of pesticides, to a computer-readable medium, to a pesticide packaging system and to a process for ordering pesticides.
Computer-controlled product application systems for agricultural use are generally known. An apparatus for ascertaining a current fertilizer content of a soil scene in real-time, and then determining a chemical prescription and dispensing fertilizer on the land without the need for a navigation system or digital fertilizer maps is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,815.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,324 describes a crop spraying system adapted for attachment to an implement frame pulled by a tractor which employs a spray nozzle for each crop row in combination with a photo detector arrangement for sensing the presence of weeds extending above the crop height. Following detection of a weed in a crop row, a controller momentarily turns on a spray nozzle covering that row after a selected time interval depending upon traction vehicle speed and detector-spray nozzle spacing for applying a herbicide to the detected weed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,577 relates to a method of measuring and reporting a product application rate for a mobile product applicator having at least one speed sensor device and further having at least one product storage device including at least one load cell operatively connected thereto; wherein the application rate data for selected products is determined by a data processor via algorithmically defined interrelationships between previously stored discrete speed sensor data, load cell data, time interval data, product density data, and spreading path data.
WO 99/17606 describes an apparatus for the detection, management and treatment of vegetation, comprising a plurality of optical sensors with optical filters such that vegatation may be classified, and comprising a computer with a memory storing a database and a procedure for controlling the discharge of a treatment agent from a treatment assembly in dependence on characteristics of the classes of vegetation stored in the database wherein the discharge of the treatment agents can depend on characteristics of treatment agents.
However, the prior art variable rate application systems are not capable of taking into account the functional dependency of the application rate of the pesticide in relation to the biological effect achievable with and depending on said application rate.
Said functional dependency is highly specific for each individual pesticide and is a function of various parameters, e.g. the past, actual or future weather (temperature, precipitation, humidity, sunlight), plant variety, plant stress, soil condition and type, status of the stomata of the plant, emergence state of the plant, infection status, application time, activity level of the pesticide, mixture effects with other pesticides (synergies) or formulation types.
As an example for the temperature-dependency of a pesticide, Proceedings, North Central Weed Control Conference. 1985, Vol. 40, 118 describes glyphosate activity in potato under different temperature regimes and light levels. Under cool temperatures. (13° C. day/4° C. night), phytotoxicity of glyphosate/ha was 50% less than at 24° C./13° C. The effect of temperature on broccoli response to the pre-emergence application of oxyfluorfen is described in Weed Technology, 1999, Vol 13, pages 726 to 730. As mentioned in Weed-Research-Oxford. 1990, 30: 4, 261-269; 21 ref., the performance of thiameturon-methyl is markedly improved with increasing temperature and humidity. Increasing of rain reduces the activity of thiameturon-methyl.
Agrokhimiya, 1990, No. 7, 100-106; 13 ref. describes that the maximum acceptable level of phytotoxic quantities of atrazine, picloram and terbacil is a function of soil temperature, moisture and soil type. Increasing the soil temperature increased herbicide activity and reduced the maximum phytotoxicity threshold of picloram 1.5-fold, terbacil 2.5-fold and atrazine 3-fold. Increasing soil moisture also enhanced herbicide activity. An even more noticeable effect than that of the hydrothermal regime was exerted by soil type, the maximum phytotoxicity threshold being consistently lower for red earth than for chestnut soil.
Further, the adherance to the minimum and maximum dosage is more critical for pesticides than e.g. for fertilizers. Using dosages of a pesticide below the minimal effective amount on only one part of the field area for example may allow an uncontrolled propagation and/or development of resistent species of the insects or fungi which would result in a total loss of the harvest from the complete area around the treated field. Less critical is a too low fertilizer dosage which merely reduces the yield from the field on which the fertilizer has been directly applied.
Therefore, it is the object of the present invention to provide a system for the variable rate application of pesticides, which considers the dependency of the biological activity of each individual pesticide from its application rate, optionally under consideration of the climatic and/or soil conditions at the agricultural production area.